Partnership supports UNDP country-office pilots, civil society organizations (CSOs), and public-sector engagement around responsible digital infrastructure and AI-enabled software development
The third edition will help UN teams turn challenges from active programmes into practical, scalable solutions with support from leading blockchain and AI partners.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), through its Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), has approved over US$2.2 million in funding to accelerate Armenia’s transition […]
Urban Talks is an interactive webinar series that spotlights cities and initiatives that are building new inclusive visions across Europe and Central Asia and wider, […]
On 30 July, the Green Economy Hub was opened in Nizhyn – a new space where residents, local authorities, businesses and academia can work together around […]
Insights from UNDP’s Paris Convenings
Inside the CEF x AI Bootcamp in Podgorica, Montenegro – and what it taught us about building AI capability in local governments The CEF x AI Bootcamp, held […]
While information about AI is abundant, space to make sense of what it means in practice is not. That gap between the global AI conversation […]
UNDP and the Stellar Development Foundation extend their partnership to scale blockchain-based digital payment solutions across country office programmes.
What blockchain VDAP opens for UNDP colleagues Connecting internal talent with live blockchain and AI workstreamsJune 26, 2026 | NEW TECHNOLOGIES, PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT UNDP teams […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, is launching the BOOST: Innovation Ecosystem Accelerator – a new […]
The ninth and closing session of the spring UN Blockchain Talks handed the floor to three private-sector builders working at the edge of AI and blockchain, […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping how cities deliver services, manage infrastructure, and make decisions. For many municipalities across Europe and Central Asia, the challenge is not […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is opening new possibilities for how cities deliver services, make decisions, and manage complex systems. For municipalities, the question is no longer whether AI […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will convene Scaling Blockchain for Public Good, a two-day high-level event bringing together blockchain ecosystem leaders, governments, development organizations, and academic institutions to explore the practical pathways through which blockchain […]
The eighth session of the UN Blockchain Talks used the story of Mariama, a fictional trader in The Gambia, to bring the discussion on stablecoins […]
Environmental sustainability has become one of blockchain’s favorite talking points. Even so, carbon credits, drought insurance, climate adaptation loans, renewable energy certificates, and biodiversity finance […]
In 2025, the SDG Blockchain Accelerator delivered 46 pilot- and implementation-ready solutions, with 12 already entering real-world testing. Developed across two global cohorts, 70% of […]
By the time a product or service reaches the end user, most of the difficult work has already been done elsewhere. Someone had to collect […]
During the fifth session of the UN Blockchain Talks series, the discussion moved beyond whether blockchain can support digital identity. A more useful examination was […]
On the eve of the fifth year of full-scale war, four Ukrainian cities have taken on what seems like an impossible task: to determine their […]
In 2025, four Ukrainian cities – Khmelnytskyi, Bucha, Zhytomyr, and Slavutych – joined the Mission-Oriented Economy local transformation programme, part of the EU-funded Mayors for […]
What kind of cities do we want to live in – and how do we get there? Launched on World Cities Day (31 October 2025), City Imaginarium went […]
Ten startups and non-profits from across Europe and Central Asia gathered virtually on 25 February 2026 for the BOOST x City Experiment Fund (CEF) Green […]
Lisbon, 18 March 2026 – Goparity, a Portuguese impact investment platform, has collaborated with AltFinLab, a flagship United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiative, pioneering alternative […]
Blockchain work across the UN system has grown steadily, but not always in a coordinated manner. Some teams are piloting real solutions; others are still […]
At the Western Balkans Digital Summit 2025 in Skopje, we asked six regional experts¹ from across the Western Balkans 6 (WB6) two questions: what works, and what is missing in digital […]
At the entrance to Pljevlja, in northern Montenegro, you are met with a familiar sight. Thick smog hides the small town, concealing all its colour […]
There’s a question that doesn’t get asked enough in digital finance: what does “working” actually mean when you’re operating at the last mile? Digital payments […]
UNDP has released a new publication, “New Tech, New Partners: Transforming development in the digital era – A snapshot of UNDP’s blockchain practice,” offering a […]
This article is the second in a three-part spotlight series exploring how local ventures in Moldova and Ukraine are advancing green innovation. The series is […]
The UNDP Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab), in partnership with the Algorand Foundation, has launched the second global cohort of the Blockchain Academy, drawing unprecedented interest from across […]
Governments are under pressure to move on digital transformation and AI. But many don’t know where to start – and honestly neither do we much of […]
UNDP’s City Experiment Fund has released the Twin Transition Stencil Report, presenting a structured framework that was designed to support cities in designing and managing integrated green and digital transformation […]
As the world moves closer to 2030, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires not just new resources and tools, but new forms of collaboration. UNDP’s most recent […]
Electronic waste, or e-waste, is one of the fastest-growing environmental and economic challenges of our time. According to the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor, more than 62 […]
Transform the future of the SDGs with hands-on blockchain skills Are you ready to harness the power of blockchain to accelerate innovation and solve real-world […]
UNDP’s Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab), in collaboration with the Algorand Foundation, is excited to open applications for the second global cohort of the Blockchain Academy […]
How do cities understand the needs of their citizens – and turn those insights into meaningful action? As part of the 2025 cycle of the City […]
On World Cities Day 2025, UNDP in Europe and Central Asia launches the City Imaginarium — a regional creative campaign that invites artists and communities […]
The United Nations Development Programme’s Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab) and the Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA) are co-organising a landmark two-day Blockchain Impact Forum. Hosted […]
In a time of rapid technological advancement, the question is no longer whether emerging technologies like blockchain have a role to play, but how they […]
The SDG Blockchain Accelerator has concluded its 2025 virtual global hackathon sprint with 37 winning teams selected to join Cohort 2. Over the next four […]
Following the Istanbul Innovation Days held in March 2025, we are releasing a series of articles capturing key insights, bold ideas and solutions that emerged […]
Following the Istanbul Innovation Days held in March 2025, we are releasing a series of articles capturing key insights, bold ideas and solutions that emerged […]
Sui’s high-performance blockchain will power pilots advancing censorship-resistant access to healthcare and other critical development initiatives. September 29, 2025 — The United Nations Development Programme […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central is set to spotlight a new generation of green innovators this autumn as the BOOST: […]
September 15, 2025 – Istanbul/London — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Exponential Science Foundation have announced a partnership to develop the Government […]
UNDP Armenia is in the process of starting a partnership with Plastiks to address the country’s underdeveloped recycling infrastructure by piloting a blockchain-based model that […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia has launched the BOOST x CEF: Green Urban Tech open call, inviting innovators worldwide to […]
Following the Istanbul Innovation Days held in March 2025, we are releasing a series of articles capturing key insights, bold ideas and solutions that emerged […]
UNDP Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab), in partnership with the Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), EMURGO Labs (with funding from Project Catalyst), Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia has released its 2024 Annual Report for the Slovak Transformation Fund (STF), spotlighting how […]
Together with existing partners Blockchain for Good Alliance and EMURGO Labs, the initiative will pilot blockchain solutions for sustainable development. August 19, 2025 — The […]
Following the Istanbul Innovation Days held in March 2025, we are releasing a series of articles capturing key insights, bold ideas and solutions that emerged […]
In Berlin, on 12-13 June 2025, the Smart Futures event convened a global community of innovators, policymakers and technologists to explore how frontier technologies – […]
Andrii Nahornyi is a GIS specialist with a background in spatial data analysis, cartography, and remote sensing. He holds a BSc in Geomatics and specializes […]
The UNDP Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab), Blockchain for Good Alliance, and EMURGO Labs launched Cohort 1 of the SDG Blockchain Accelerator – a transformative initiative […]
How do you prepare cities to navigate the complexity of green and digital transitions – not through isolated projects, but through interconnected portfolios that learn, adapt, […]
In today’s rapidly evolving world, technological progress and demographic shifts are fundamentally reshaping global labour markets. Countries worldwide are rethinking their approaches to vocational education […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, is pleased to announce the selected participants for the BOOST: […]
“We’ve learned that when deployed thoughtfully and inclusively, blockchain is more than a buzzword,” said Steliana Nedera, UNDP IRH Director, opening the 2025 Blockchain4Good Virtual […]
More than 30 years after the Soviet Union’s collapse, cities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia still face economic stagnation, aging infrastructure, and new pressures […]
Imagine earning city credits for walking to work, helping choose where trees get planted through your phone, or discovering your morning coffee supports local culture. […]
Written by the UNDP Innovation Team Istanbul Regional Hub in partnership with the European Commission. As the EU Commission and the United Nations Development Programme […]
In the Western Balkans, a wave of digital innovation has the potential to reshape how cities function. Imagine a city where public services operate seamlessly, […]
Two key lessons from our work in the Mayors for Economic Growth project, in collaboration with UNDP: 1) Innovation needs to occur at multiple levels […]
The second international “Future-Fit Cities Forum” has officially concluded in Moldova, bringing together around 100 development actors, including mayors from the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries, development institutions, […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched the SDG Blockchain Accelerator, harnessing blockchain technology to develop, pilot, and scale innovative solutions to advance the United […]
The SDG Blockchain Accelerator is a global initiative designed to identify, support, and scale blockchain-powered solutions that tackle real-world development challenges aligned with the UN […]
Unlock the power of blockchain for sustainable development The SDG Blockchain Accelerator is now looking for UNDP challenges for the 2025 cohort! Led by the […]
The City Experiment Fund (CEF), a regional UNDP initiative supporting sustainable urban transformation through strategic innovation, is bringing together over 40 participants from across Europe […]
Alongside regional partners and colleagues, the Innovation team at UNDP Europe and Central Asia is running several sessions at Istanbul Innovation Days (IID) 2025 to […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia has announced the next cohort of 10 cities selected for the City Experiment Fund […]
Urban centers are becoming more age-diverse than ever, yet many cities struggle to meaningfully engage different generations. With the global population projected to reach 9.8 […]
Fostering collaborative models to advance emerging technologies and drive structural economic transformation in the Western Balkans was at the heart of the strategic dialogue organized […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia and the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) have announced a strategic partnership aimed at harnessing […]
BOOST, powered by UNDP, in collaboration with the European Union (EU), the Government of Denmark, are proud to announce the successful launch of the acceleration […]
The world is at a critical moment. Urgent crises, political, ecological, and economic are putting huge pressure on governments and societies. Yet many of the biggest […]
The first-ever Blockchain Academy tailored for the UN ecosystem, developed by the United Nation Development Programme in partnership with Algorand Foundation, saw an overwhelming response, […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia and the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic have announced a $5.94 million […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the City of Bratislava have signed a four-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance development activities supporting cities […]
At last week’s COP29, nations faced an urgent priority – addressing the critical role of finance in adapting to climate change and tackling loss and […]
Is the biowaste industry becoming a new ‘green business’ opportunity in North Macedonia? How can we unlock its potential? Managing biowaste in urban centers […]
UNDP, UN Volunteers, and the United Nations Capital Development Fund personnel can now participate in blockchain and web3 training provided by the Algorand Foundation NEW […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia, in partnership with SocialTech Lab, announced the selection of 19 innovative finance solutions for […]
Ten municipalities in Moldova joined a crowdfunding training programme to gain skills in creating and running effective crowdfunding campaigns for local projects. When one thinks […]
Everyone has the right to live in cities that are comfortable, accessible, and environmentally clean, where public spaces prioritize human well-being and inclusivity. Indeed, many […]
Cities in Europe and Central Asia are adopting a systemic design approach to urban development. The shift is being spearheaded by two UNDP initiatives – […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) participated in the Cardano Summit 2024, held on October 23-24, building on our strategic partnership with the Cardano Foundation, […]
The 12th World Urban Forum (WUF), the largest global conference on urban issues convened by UN-Habitat, will take place in Cairo, Egypt, from November 4-8, […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia is co-organizing the Blockchain4Good virtual summit on October 30-31, 2024. This event aims to […]
Istanbul, September 24 – Powered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), BOOST, a regional impact acceleration programme, is launching an initiative for innovative financial solutions for […]
At the end of 2023, the Innovation team at UNDP Europe and Central Asia initiated a more structured exploration of how to strengthen the team’s […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia released its 2023 Annual Report for the Slovak Transformation Fund (STF), funded by the […]
The Green Tokens project, led by the UNDP IRH Innovation Team, is a new pilot initiative designed to assess how using a reward-based token system […]
As an innovation team, we ‘re always looking for ways to use new technologies in our work. Whether that’s enabling digital payments, making urban planning […]
Portfolio GPT is an AI-powered tool designed to support UNDP Country Offices in applying the portfolio approach. In this conversation, Andi and Vid, members of […]
In tackling escalating social and environmental challenges, it is becoming clear that traditional project-based innovation methods, with their predefined objectives, outcomes and fixed timelines, often […]
The Emerging Futures: Digital Partnerships for Sustainable Finance event, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) from July 1-3, 2024 in Istanbul, brought together […]
Emerging Futures: Digital Partnerships for Sustainable Finance, a blockchain-focused event organized in July by UNDP, with the financial support of ISDB, provided an in-depth exploration […]
Hosted by UNDP Europe and Central Asia in partnership with the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, the Catalyzing Urban Transformation regional forum brought […]
The Algorand Blockchain Academy, an initiative developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Algorand Foundation is ready to launch in September 2024. […]
Distrust & Toxic Polarization Powered by Mis-Disinformation Public institutions are losing people’s trust. UNDP’s trends report for 2024 outlines ‘the trust deficit’ as a theme that […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is excited to announce the Tokenization for Sustainable Development event, a pivotal component of the Green Tokens initiative. This […]
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy has generated many business ideas Imagine classrooms where school desks are not just places to sit, but spaces for interactive, dynamic, […]
The Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) Facility, a joint initiative of the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), announced the launch of the Green […]
Climate change, technological disruption and other issues are profoundly shaping the trajectory of our cities. Interconnected challenges are converging in front of us, creating a […]
The European Union (EU), the Kingdom of Denmark, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, in partnership with BOOST, an acceleration programme for social […]
In 2022-2023, I had the privilege of joining UNDP’s Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) for a temporary assignment under the Virtual Development Assignment Programme (VDAP). I supported […]
It’s tiny, orange, and on first look, with a strange shape and texture. This small object is the first piece of bioplastic made at the Biohacking […]
In tackling escalating social and environmental challenges, it is becoming clear that traditional project-based innovation methods, with their predefined objectives, outcomes and fixed timelines, often […]
Armenian municipalities take ownership of their development Armenia is a country of ancient histories and modern development. Walk through its capital Yerevan and you willpass […]
Three years ago, we embarked on a new journey with the EU funded Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) initiative, supporting mayors across the Eastern Partnership […]
How can cities get the support they need to achieve their climate ambitions? This conversation in partnership with the City Climate Finance Gap Fund explores […]
In an effort to strengthen resource mobilization, UNDP kickstarted six Crowdfunding Academies (CFA) across the globe. This initiative aims to equip teams with the expertise required […]
As cities navigate the uncharted waters of the green transition, climate governance emerges as a beacon of hope, illuminating pathways towards a sustainable future where […]
Waste is hardly mysterious. In much of the developing world and even much of the developed world, waste is a source of everyday frustration – […]
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), Arup, EIT Climate-KIC, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), and UNDP launched today the Pathways […]
Unveiling new horizons – our commitment to transformative change Over the last decade, blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies have undergone a significant cycle of hype. As […]
In this two-part blog series, the Innovation Team at UNDP Europe and Central Asia shares their reflections on the recent user-testing for a new online […]
Foreword by the Mayor “Our municipality is a small municipality covering Urva, Chilegir and Urvaoba villages in Gusar region of Azerbaijan. It is very different […]
Stepanavan, in northern Armenia, boasts picturesque landscapes and lush greenery. Just over 100 kilometers from the capital, it is a quiet destination, away from the […]
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announces a partnership with Innofund, a blockchain development firm dedicated to creating Web3 solutions that address societal challenges. Together, […]
Bratislava, February 2024 – UNDP Europe and Central Asia, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, is set to host next […]
This article is part of a spotlight series highlighting Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG), a joint EU and UNDP regional initiative, hosting a network of […]
UNDP Europe and Central Asia announces the launch of the BOOST Alumni Network, an initiative designed for the 200+ impact ventures and non-profits who previously […]
Last year in UNDP Uzbekistan, we started a Futures and Foresight exercise on Green Transition in Uzbekistan guided by the increasing importance of the topic […]
Last year in UNDP Uzbekistan, we started a Futures and Foresight exercise on Green Transition in Uzbekistan guided by the increasing importance of the topic […]
Algorand selected to deliver blockchain curriculum to 22,000 UNDP employees globally The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announces a partnership with Algorand Foundation, an organization […]
The story of the Montenegrin non-profit Korak sa naukon (KSAN), which translates to Step with Science, begins with the belief that science should be accessible […]
The UNDP Crowdfunding Academy (CFA) is now open for applications! The global CFA is a two-month online training that dives into the world of fundraising, […]
Thirty micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) from across Kosovo, whose project proposals demonstrated significant potential for making the shift towards environmental sustainability, have been […]
In the ever-evolving world of impact acceleration, we, the Innovation team at UNDP Europe and Central Asia and the architects of BOOST and Tadamon Acceleration […]
In a rapidly evolving urban landscape, traditional methods of addressing interconnected urban challenges are becoming increasingly inadequate. As a result, urban development practitioners are exploring […]
For Mayors involved in the initiative, the purpose is to provide a sense of expanded options in the face of complexity, rather than resorting to […]
UNDP Kosovo launched the second edition of the BOOST x Kosovo programme to support green recovery in the private sector. This edition: The Kosovo Green Challenge: NextGen […]
4 October 2023, BATUMI – More than 200 participants from Eastern Partnership cities convened in Batumi, Georgia, for a two-day urban forum organized by the Directorate-General […]
New developments in artificial intelligence (AI) arise every day. AI offers us a vast array of opportunities for labour optimization, refinement of education systems, disease […]
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISFD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) successfully organized […]
Next week, Mayors for Economic Growth, a joint UNDP and EU initiative, will host the Urban Forum: Future-Fit Cities, a gathering of over 300 representatives […]
Originally published by UNDP Eurasia. Edited by Karen Cirillo, Digital Communications Specialist, UNDP IRH. Biowaste. It’s not just your average trash. Biowaste – anything from egg shells […]
Recent crises demonstrate that the future will not necessarily mirror the past. We face a multitude of possible, probable, and preferable futures that we need […]
The Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organization […]
Edited for brevity by Arianna Friedman and Svetla Baeva. See full article on the UNDP Kazakhstan website. 99% of the global population is exposed to […]
Children leading co-design for revolutionizing urban spaces in Prishtinë/Priština, Kosovo* Do children in Prishtinë/Priština a have access to public spaces to interact, play, socialize? What kind of […]
In this two-part blog series, the Innovation team at UNDP Europe and Central Asia shares their reflections on the recent user-testing for a new online […]
For the Innovation Team at UNDP Europe and Central Asia, much of our work revolves around creating, storing, managing, and sharing knowledge. Approaching the latest […]
We live in a rapidly changing world where vast technological advancements are announced almost daily – think of the AI developments in just the last […]
In July, UNDP, in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Solidarity Fund, and the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, organized a […]
Cities are confronting unprecedented challenges and traditional linear approaches are no longer sufficient to address overlapping, interconnected issues efficiently. But there is an effective way […]
When we at the RBEC Knowledge and Innovation Team at UNDP Europe and Central Asia designed our four-week learning sprint with selected municipalities in Ukraine […]
Istanbul, 26 July 2023 – The Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) Facility, a joint initiative of the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme […]
Our first ever portfolio bootcamp The climate crisis, urban development, and digital transformation are complex challenges that call for a new way of working. This […]
The building of “Sălcioara” kindergarten, not repaired in last five decades, had undergone a makeover, and both children and parents are thrilled with the change. […]
or how UNDP, UNICEF and the City of Skopje established the first Biohacking Lab in Skopje FROM EMPTY LAB TO FIRST PROTOTYPES AND SOLUTIONS Through […]
Our UNDP Urban Talks is back with a special summer series edition! Last year we heard from a diverse range of urban practitioners and academics […]
Reflections on the first Regional Sensemaking with nine cities under Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) “When we started the project last year, I did not […]
Tiko Tkeshelashvili, M4EG Project Manager, UNDP Georgia Irmak Ekin Karel, Strategic Innovation Designer, CHÔRAIgor Izotov, Head of Exploration, UNDP Accelerator Lab, North Macedonia [1]Rusudan Zhozhadze, Head […]
Reposted from UNDP North Macedonia. Collective challenges Droughts in the Horn of Africa, flooding in South Asia, and severe summer heats and droughts in in […]
Article was originally published on UNDP Kazakhstan’s website. Our current educational model is struggling to keep up with the rapidly evolving demands of the labour market, […]
Prototyping City Learning Circle amidst Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine This blog is based on the experience of Ukraine cities who were part of […]
Reposted from the Centre for Public Impact. The latest developments internationally demand responses that have not been tried before. It requires governments at the central […]
Reposted from UNDP Serbia. In the last few months, you have probably played around with a generative AI application, asking it to create an interesting […]
The launch of the EU Response and Renewal Programme for local authorities in Ukraine and Moldova for M4EG To support the new realities of local […]
In recent years, there has been a strong shift from investing in traditional businesses to investing in impact ventures, i.e. companies that aim to create […]
The Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) Facility is increasing its support to members in Ukraine and Moldova Brussels, Chișinău, Kyiv, 29 March 2023 – the European Commission […]
UNDP North Macedonia and its AccLab team embarked on a journey to understand how using behavioral sciences and experiments (nudges) can help us tackle air […]
UNDP North Macedonia and its AccLab team embarked on a journey to understand how using behavioral sciences and experiments (nudges) can help us tackle air […]
The Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) initiative held a Partner Dialogue in Istanbul on 28 February 2023, bringing together representatives from the EU and UNDP and […]
Gender disparities persist globally, particularly in positions of power and higher pay, where women face cultural and professional barriers to advancement, which are often referred […]
On a daily basis, we receive toxic news about problems in the local finance – poor property tax collection, low fiscal effort, limited fiscal capacities, […]
Big data from satellites, mobile phones, and social media, among other tools, allows researchers to build on or replace traditional methods of acquiring socioeconomic data. […]
Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG), a joint EU and UNDP initiative focused on reimagining urban and local spaces, is running a Portfolio Journey with 10 […]
Reposted from UNDP Serbia. How to build an Internet portal which offers start-ups simple and user-friendly information needed for their further business development? This was […]
The biowaste audit dashboard visualizes how commercial entities working in the capital city of North Macedonia – Skopje, particularly in the HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants and […]
We live in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is rapidly transforming the economy and our way of life. Artificial intelligence, automation and […]
Urban Imaginaries is a programme that supports towns and cities to reimagine local economic development and governance through new tools. Urban Imaginaries is one programme […]
How “digital twins” of real cities can help guide innovation and transform our lives As a child, I loved playing SimCity, a popular video game […]
BOOST x Kosovo, an acceleration programme aiming to promote green transition, announced the grant awardees for the first edition of BOOST programme in Kosovo. The […]
In 2022, we worked with 55 changemakers from 16 countries and territories in Europe and Central Asia on harnessing innovation and technology to advance gender […]
Reposted from UNDP North Macedonia. Imagination versus & policymaking The world faces a deficit of social imagination’, with people finding it easier to imagine negative rather than […]
Two years ago, Mariam Torosyan, a human rights lawyer and social entrepreneur, founded SafeYOU, a social impact startup, in a bid to curb domestic and gender-based […]
The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched today a new ecosystem of learning opportunities to reimagine urban and local spaces […]
A financial top-up under the auspices of the Mayors for Economic Growth Facility supports the crisis immediate response and recovery & long-term renewal of Moldovan […]
In our previous story „Imagine the city we want,“ we introduced the Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG), a joint EU and UNDP initiative that supports […]
“On the surface we’re hitting our targets. But my big fear is that nothing fundamental is changing. We’re not shifting the underlying dynamics that are […]
BOOST, a regional acceleration programme for social impact innovation, financed and supported by the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic and Koç Holding, announced […]
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kosovo, in partnership with the Government of Japan, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Innovation […]
Cities: A powerhouse for innovation Throughout history, cities have held a central role in innovation. First, local governments often are more agile than the national […]
A personal reflection of the past year as the lead orchestrator for a joint EU & UNDP project called the Mayors for Economic Growth International […]
Local governments are at the forefront of change and opportunity – whether that is tackling climate change, addressing inequality, or attracting and retaining talent. Yet, […]
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kosovo, in partnership with the Embassy of Japan in Kosovo, launched today BOOST x Kosovo, an acceleration programme to […]
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in an increasingly evolving, interconnected, and uncertain world requires the ability to navigate complexity. In ecosystems where different actors operate […]
Tadamon, a community platform for civil society organizations empowerment has recently announced, 50 civil society organizations (CSOs) will join the Tadamon Accelerator open call, a […]
Interview with Didem Cikse, the co-founder and CEO of Hub21. In August 2022, BOOST announced that the 2022 Women Innovators champion in Turkey is Hub21, a […]
Famous American writer and activist James Baldwin once wrote: we made the world we’re living in and we have to make it over. That’s just […]
As different aspects of UNDP’s work on urban transformation in Europe and Central Asia come together, we’re embarking on a series of high level discussions […]
What needs to be done to create a prosperous future for people and planet, a future to be realized through the UN 2030 Agenda for […]
Powered by UNDP Europe and Central Asia, BOOST announces that the 2022 Women Innovators champion in Turkey is Hub21, a women-led startup building a new way to […]
40 girls from Dushanbe and Khujand in Tajikistan were selected from 420 applicants to participate in a five-month long coding programme for young women, organized […]
Our Show & Tell event, held in Kutaisi, Georgia in July, 2022, was attended by the representatives of municipalities falling under the umbrella of the […]
The Călărași town calmly lies along the banks of the river Bic in the region of the miraculous Moldovan hills of Codru. But not everything […]
Artificial intelligence (AI), including machine learning (ML), is used across all areas of modern life from voice recognition systems to navigation apps. Scientists and practitioners are […]
Complex issues – like climate change, inequality or a pandemic – are unpredictable and have cascading and interdependent effects across the environment, economy and society. […]
When thinking about the future, we often ask who gets to speak for it. But instead, we decided to ask ourselves a different question: who […]
This blog kicks off a series on the joint portfolio design process by UNDP Uzbekistan, facilitated by the Accelerator Lab Uzbekistan and led by the […]
Our world is changing fast – often faster than societies can adapt. The seemingly imperceptible changes to our climate, brought on by the burning of […]
Supporting cities to take a more complexity-informed approach to urban challenges. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Centre for Public Impact (CPI) have […]
May 17 marks the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD). In today’s age of an ever-evolving array of technologies, it speaks of a revolution, […]
Civil society organizations across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa can apply by June 10, 2022, to receive access to training and funding fast-track their […]
I am standing on a podium in Baku, Azerbaijan, in front of 46 city Mayors, gathered together from all corners of the country. There is […]
55 regional champions will take part in BOOST’s new cohort to advance gender equality in Europe and Central Asia UNDP Europe and Central Asia’s BOOST, a regional […]
In nowadays world immersed in multiple crises and in growing uncertainty, where the situation and dynamics change even on hourly basis, we should all embrace […]
Kazakhstan has made progress in gender equality in all sectors, but challenges remain. Young women in Kazakhstan are not well represented in STEM (science, technology, […]
Cut down, an average tree could be worth up to a thousand BAM. It’s simple math: no. of cubic meters x the price of m3 of […]
How might we use the public sector’s purchasing power to slow climate change and advance the green transition of the economy in Bosnia and Herzegovina? […]
In 2022 living solely offline seems like something from a bygone era. Connectivity and technology have indubitably become integral parts of most people’s daily lives. […]
If we are to bring about systemic change, we need a “portfolio” of solutions, rather than assuming that a single project can lead to the […]
When you talk to urban development practitioners, they seem to agree that there are no silver bullet solutions to the challenges cities face. What is […]
Anyone who wants to make a difference in their community is now able to mobilize support and funds in Georgia through the homegrown crowdfunding platform […]
What do Marvel comic book, technology and people have in common? They all ask the question “What if…?” and they all can be superheroes or supervillains. […]
As part of the Joint EU & UNDP Virtual Forum on Urban Transformations, we interviewed two thought leaders on how to radically change our urban spaces to become […]
A large and diverse group of municipalities, research institutions and think tanks has kicked off a promising dialogue on how to radically change cities and […]
UNDP Europe and Central Asia is launching the Ministry of Data (MoD) handbook – a guide to run successful data innovation challenges, co-created and tested […]
Urban digitalization can accelerate our progress towards cities with cleaner air, creating a more eco-friendly environment in Belarus. Urban green spaces’ natural ability to filter […]
EU & UNDP organized a joint forum on “Embracing Complexity & System Innovation, and its Implications,” on 28 October 2021. The purpose of the forum […]
The joint EU and UNDP Partner Forum discussed how to address today’s dynamic challenges through new approaches that embrace uncertainty and discovery. Brussels/ New York/ Istanbul/ Skopje, 28 October […]
We are living in an age of long, interlinked emergencies that cannot be adequately addressed unless nations and governments can look beyond the horizon of […]
To celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, we at UNDP Kyrgyzstan are reaching out to innovators across Europe and Central Asia to promote our […]
UNDP Kazakhstan Accelerator Lab team decided to experiment with a new approach to organizational strategies and ‘hack’ our own Country Programme Document (CPD), a strategy […]
UNDP announced the five organizations and startups that have been selected as the winners of the 2020 BOOST Innovation Challenge Fund.
Identifying effective means of increasing citizen participation in decision making is timely and relevant considering the impact of the pandemic on populations and governments preparing […]
What strategic innovation and art have in common – the role of identity, the need to have a direction and clearly conceptualized design principles, the […]
UNDP announced the seven civil society organizations (CSOs) that have been selected as Civil Society Technology Challenge awardees of the 2020 BOOST regional acceleration program. […]
Public procurement can be positively influenced by open contracting. This type of tendering enables all the interested individuals and legal entities to easily access data […]
Starting a platform for civil society development/transformation in 2020 was no easy feat, given the tumultuous state of the world. However, through innovative and community-centered […]
After one year of collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) on supporting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society organizations (CSOs) in 57 OIC […]
As we kick-off our online course on portfolio thinking in collaboration with the EU, we will be updating this blog with weekly live entries, snippets […]
We are excited to announce that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has started the implementation of the EU & UNDP Mayors for Economic Growth […]
The acceleration of the digital transformation will be crucial to weather the crisis and ensure long-term growth as we enter a “new normal.” We’d like […]
Michael Jordan will shed light on personal data stores; we’ll use the full Bulls team to illustrate data cooperatives, and coach Jackson will help us […]
UNDP AltFinLab and UNDP Lebanon have created a system solution and technical platform together with the Social Impact Network. The platform, built during the DLT4EU […]
UNDP AltFinLab explains their Track-and-Trace project, led under the DLT4EU accelerator programme, and addresses how the application of DLTs help solve societal and environmental challenges […]
Crises create opportunities, and we created one, LiveLebanon, in October 2009 by bringing citizens, the diaspora, and the private sector together to find solutions to […]
Agorà is a City Transformation Portfolio — a template that can be applied in any city system for designing and managing pandemic response and renewal […]
In an increasingly urbanized planet, understanding cities has never been so high on the agenda. The uniqueness of each city as complex sociotechnical systems is […]
How do we collaborate and communicate effectively online? How can we enable informed decision making in this new distributed reality? How can we ensure that […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragility of the networks linking the world together and challenged us to reimagine how we work together and maintain […]
The Presence Anytime Anywhere (PAA) project is exploring solutions to this problem, using a new technology called spatial computing that supports 3D data visualization.
UNDP Europe and Central Asia and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today the selected participants of BOOST’s Polish Challenge Fund, which brings together […]
UNDP Europe and Central Asia launched a new videocast series on using systems thinking to solve development challenges. In this opening episode of the series […]
In this post, we’re diving deeper into the question of how to exercise control over one’s data, how such ‘control taking’ would work in practice, […]
UNDP Europe and Central Asia and Koç Holding announced today the selected participants of BOOST’s Civil Society Technology Challenge, which aims to accelerate the digital […]
UNDP Europe and Central Asia and the Slovak Ministry of Finance announced today the selected participants of BOOST’s Innovation Challenge Fund, which brings together innovators […]
The shifting ground around us, a different type of demand from our counterparts and the availability of new organisational assets has gradually shifted the needle […]
The components of urban systems, from waste management to transport and parks, are interconnected and dynamic. Intervening to create change in any one of these […]
To tackle the long-term effects of Covid-19, UNDP Europe and Central Asia is launching BOOST, a regional acceleration program for social impact innovation. It will support […]
The current pandemic – the first of the algorithmic age – has not only shown the vulnerabilities of our social, economic and health systems, it has also […]
In the last few years there has been a growing interest from the public, private and development sectors in adopting a systems lens to develop […]
Blockchain, an emerging technology often associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, has tremendous potential to tackle this and other challenges, accelerating development progress that truly […]
UNDP Uzbekistan’s Accelerator Lab launched the Green Aral Sea crowdfunding campaign, which will help resolve the impacts of the Aral Sea disaster.
In this post we’re looking at ways to ‘do’ data empowerment. Our aim is to provide those who design, implement, evaluate or fund data for […]
At UNDP we know too well that traditional approaches to development are struggling to keep up with the dynamic speed, breadth and nature of today’s challenges. And […]
Currently, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities and the urban population is expected to double by 2050. Intense urbanization has led […]
UNDP and Islamic Development Bank launched a renewed action plan to strengthen collaboration in support of national efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
In the Arab region despite steady progress in reducing poverty and boosting health and education, many countries face daunting development challenges. Tadamon aims to strengthen […]
Working with Magic Leap, the German Space Agency and BadVR, we created an experiential visualization, Climate Change Spares No One, that brings to life visceral […]
The public transport stops locations and schedules have been set based on an assessment conducted some 30 years ago and has not been upgraded ever […]
UNDP has been exploring ways to increase Islamic finance’s impact by linking Indonesia and Turkey together, through UNDP Alternative Finance Lab and UNDP Innovative Financing […]
Mayors from eight countries have joined forces with UNDP on a new initiative to boost financing for solar energy.
Forum for the Future opened the first week of educational webinars for the UNDP City Experiment Fund. Anna Simpson, curator of the Futures Centre, and […]
The complexity of the challenges we deal with – whether it is conflict, climate change or governance – combined with the high value and cost […]
AltFinLab, UNDP Egypt, and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center partnered together to foster crowdfunding in Egypt to unlock investment for achieving SDGs.
Cities occupy only about 2% of Earth’s land area, but house between 60–85% of the world population. At a time of accelerated change — and with […]
Since its launch in 2009, Live Lebanon has implemented 67 projects and raised US$4.2 million from Lebanese communities abroad. From education to environment, it has […]
Best known as the technology behind cryptocurrencies, blockchain is still too new and cutting edge for many industries. Blockchain data cannot be manipulated, it is fully […]
The Alternative Finance Lab, together with UNDP Panama, organized sessions to learn about advances in innovation with practical cases and thus be able to exchange […]
Just when we need them most, our governance systems are letting us down. Structures that have been stable for seventy years are cracking under the […]
We’ve led 35 crowdfunding campaigns at UNDP since 2015 and mobilized US$1.2 million. Here’s our take-away.
UNDP Istanbul Hub and Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra put their heads together and thought about the challenges around impact bonds-what comes to preventing and solving […]
Considering that the 21st century is an urban one, key attributes of our cities should be used as assets to harness urban development scenarios, primarily […]
UNDP AltFinLab partnered with Blockchain.com, UNHCR, and WEF to explore how block chain technology works, but also how it is already being used to pursue […]
UNDP Crowdfunding Academy has the first successful crowdfunding campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the “Talas” magazine team. Let’s dive into Talas magazine’s story and […]
Argan trees are, in many cases, the only income for local indigenous women. However, most of them lack cash for expanding their businesses beyond just […]
Displaced people often struggle with identity loss. Having the digital footprint of blockchain can help refugee families in transit and those of us in the […]
Could blockchain-based payment systems make financial access easier for migrant workers sending remittance payments from abroad, make the transfer cheaper, faster, and more secure?
UNDP Indonesia experiments with innovative and alternative financing models to tackle development challenges effectively. Here are the ten things that helped their crowdfunding campaign raise […]
The following piece was first published on the AltFinLab blog and was originally published on July 18, 2017. Crowdfunding Academy in Ukraine is a three […]
This year, our efforts are geared toward seeing to what extent crowdfunding can help small entrepreneurs accessing funding in places where it is prohibitively expensive […]
After two months of intensive work with the Crowdfunding Academy team, twelve teams are ready with their campaigns. Check out the teams and their videos, […]
UNDP Moldova explains the challenges and lessons from their mission of increasing children fruit consumption through their first crowdfunding campaign.
From conducting a successful campaign to setting up Crowdfunding Academy and UNDP Alternative Finance Lab, helping to launch more than 15 campaigns in 10+ countries […]
Zagreb Crowdfunding Convention comes as a manifestation of the Crowdfunding Academy’s goals to contribute to the development of a crowdfunding market in Croatia. It’s the […]
From blockchain to crowdfunding, Alternative Finance Lab mobilized over EUR 3 million across a series of experiments with new financial mechanisms.
The same as for software developers, we, development professionals, need a paradigm shift in how we do work, how that work gets financed and how […]
We are travelling around the world and meeting teams and projects of Global Crowdfunding Academy. All of them wish to make a change in their […]
From equity-based crowfunding and person-to-person lending, to crypto currencies and mobile money; entirely new players are disrupting the field of financing for development and public […]
The first Global Crowdfunding Academy organized for and by the UNDP offices around the world had a really strong competition. After a tough selection process, […]
